ATTENTION, communities on the newest Base Realignment and Closure list:
Don't panic. Don't cancel your plans for a prosperous future. Don't
waste your money on a lobbyist who promises to save your base, because
he can't.

Instead, talk to leaders in communities that have gone through the
process in years past. You'll find that, although initially painful,
closings of outdated or unneeded military facilities don't keep local
economies down for long.

A new study from The Heritage Foundation looked at prior base closures
in three environments: Southern California, with its urban nature and
heavy Navy presence; Indiana, less populated and with a strong Air Force
component; and Alabama, more rural and primarily an Army location. It
found that, in almost every case, communities that lost military
facilities regained 90 percent or more of the displaced jobs and per
capita income within six years.